Explore Chandigarh

Though some of Le Corbusier’s buildings now look weather beaten, the city still remains the country’s cleanest and most orderly city. The French genius conceived the city along the lines of a modular man, with the Capitol Complex which has three architectural masterpieces-The Secretariat, The High Court and The Legislative Assembly, as its ‘Head’. The ‘Heart’ of Le Corbusier’s plan is the main shopping center of Sector 17, which is set around a central plaza and fountain. In Chandigarh if someone has to explore Chandigarh first place to visit is Rose Garden also known as the “Lungs” of the city.The ‘Torso’ of the city is its extensive residential sectors, with neat houses and gardens. Each road is lined with a different species of flowering tree, adding color to the cityscape.

Take a drive in the city and you will find every building looks the same. Uniformity is the keyword of Chandigarh architecture, and might be boring to a few who think that dynamism is the characteristic of a fabulous city. Some might find nothing spectacular in these box like buildings, which have no signature style of their own. But it still remains country’s cleanest and most orderly city, and is perhaps, Le Corbusier’s lasting legacy. Everybody who comes here first hears of the Sukhna Lake, where the lovers can just hold hands and watch the sunset. For more sightseeing, you can head towards the hills and stop by at Timber Trail, for its panoramic views. Chandigarh has also other garden as well, which makes city more beautiful. The Bougainvillea Garden is another serene stretch of green, for the young and the old. Every sector has a garden of its own. The city was planned in a way to have a school, hospital, market and a place of worship in every sector, making each sector complete in itself. In the serenity of the Bougainvillea Garden lies the Chandigarh War Memorial. This is perhaps the largest war memorial of the country.

There’s a treat for the kids at every step. When they get bored by all the sightseeing at the lake and have been lost and found in the lanes of the Rock Garden, take them to the International dolls Museum in sector 23 Bal Bhawan. They will be fascinated to see the interesting collection of dolls and puppets covering the variant art of more than 25 countries.

With a peaceful lifestyle, Chandigarh is now catching up with the fast life as in metropolitans. With the adjoining Panchkula and Mohali, the size has helped in expansion, as the original city was peaceful settlement on a tiny piece of land.